Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida has produced some serious talent over the years, starting with Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and continuing with A’s left-hander Jesus Luzardo and Rockies third-base prospect Colton Welker. Mayo also plays the hot corner, with the kind of power potential that many teams covet.
There are no questions about Mayo’s raw power from the right side of the plate. He can flat-out crush the ball, using his strong 6-foot-5 frame to his advantage. The concerns crop up regarding whether he’ll hit enough to get to that power on a consistent basis. There’s swing and miss to his game and while he’ll show the ability to drive the ball to the opposite field in batting practice, he can get very pull-happy in games.
Not everyone is convinced Mayo can stick at third as well. While he does have a well above-average arm, his feet and hands are just OK, which might mean a move to first base or maybe to left field. His strong arm, power and physicality might remind some of Austin Riley and the team that tries to sign him away from his commitment to Florida will believe that’s who he can become.
When Mayo was coming out of Stoneman Douglas HS in Florida in 2020, scouts saw some similarities with current Braves All-Star Austin Riley. The Orioles thought he could develop into that kind of impact hitter and went well over slot to sign him for $1.75 million as a fourth-rounder in the pandemic-shortened Draft that summer. He showed glimpses of what he was capable in 2021 and 2022, but really took off in 2023, reaching Triple-A at age 21 while hitting a combined 29 homers with a .973 OPS.
Mayo has long been known for his ability to punish the baseball from the right side of the plate and he made strides in doing that more consistently in 2023. He has plus bat speed and strength and he used both to reach the seats more regularly. His improved approach led to a huge spike in his walk rate and a drop in his strikeout rate as well. There will always be some swing-and-miss in his game, but it’s looking like he has the chance to be close to an average hitter.
With one of the best arms in the system, if not the Minors, Mayo can make all the throws from the hot corner. He moves well for his size, but the potential of him outgrowing third as well as the glut of talent on the dirt in Baltimore and throughout the system led him to add first base to his resume. That might help his power bat get to the big leagues faster.
When the Orioles took Heston Kjerstad No. 2 overall in the shortened 2020 Draft, they saved more than $2.5 million in bonus pool money to sign him, funds that were used to go after talent in the ensuing rounds. It enabled them to go well over slot in the fourth round to sign Mayo for $1.75 million out of the Florida high school ranks. He raised expectations by posting a .981 OPS, albeit in just 53 games, during his first season in 2021. While he was a little inconsistent in 2022, he continued to show off his power potential and reached Double-A at age 20.
Mayo’s carrying tool will always be his power. He makes extremely loud contact from the right side of the plate with outstanding exit velocities. His combination of bat speed and strength point to a future with a lot of home runs, especially to the pull side. He punishes fastballs, but does struggle with spin at times. His overall approach regressed a bit in 2022, but he has enough of an idea at the plate that he should get back to making better swing decisions as he adjusts to levels, though there’s always going to be swing-and-miss in his game.
One of the strongest arms in the system, if not the Minor Leagues, works very well for third base. Even though he currently moves surprisingly well for his size, there are concerns that he will outgrow the ability to play third and there’s a chance he ends up at first or left field when all is said and done. The kind of consistent power production the Orioles think he can provide will work from any spot on the diamond.
Mired in a long rebuild and facing a shortened Draft in 2020, the Orioles manipulated their bonus pool at the top of the Draft to save money for upside gambles later on. The strategy allowed them to nab prep third baseman Coby Mayo in the fourth round out of Stoneman Douglas High in Florida, the same school that’s produced All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Marlins left-hander Jesús Luzardo, among others. In convincing Mayo to forgo a commitment to Florida with a well-above slot $1.75 million bonus, the O’s also injected their system with the kind of power potential found few places in the Minor Leagues.
Standing 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Mayo makes louder contact than almost any other player in the O’s system. He uses a clean swing path and freakish raw strength to flat-out crush the ball, consistently ranking near the top of Baltimore’s system’s exit velocity readings. Mayo showed off significant bat speed and light-tower power at the club’s 2020 instructional camp and then enjoyed an excellent debut in ’21, hitting .319 with nine homers while reaching Low-A Delmarva. He also did well to quell plate discipline concerns, walking nearly as much as he struck out in his first pro season.
Mayo's profile suggests he might struggle to get to that power consistently when exposed to better pitching at higher levels and not everyone is convinced he’ll stick at third, either. Mayo does have a plus-plus arm, strong enough to produce mid-90s velocity readings off the mound in high school. He’s athletic for a big guy, running well enough to swipe 11 bases in 2021 but his size presents potential issues defensively, and his hands and feet are just OK, which might mean a move to first base or left field. His strong arm, power and physicality conjure comparisons to Troy Glaus, Pat Burrell and Austin Riley, but the huge upside comes with risk. If it all clicks, Baltimore could have a potential superstar on its hands.
2021
Part of the strategy the Orioles used to manipulate their bonus pool in the 2020 Draft was to allow them to take upside gamble on prep third baseman Coby Mayo, who they drafted in the fourth round out of Stoneman Douglas High in Florida for a well-above-slot bonus of $1.75 million. Mayo is the latest in a growing line of talent to come out of Stoneman Douglas, along with Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, A’s left-hander Jesus Luzardo and Rockies third-base prospect Colton Welker. Mayo also plays the hot corner, with the kind of power potential found few other places in the Orioles system.
Standing 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Mayo uses a clean swing path and freakish raw strength to flat-out crush the ball. He already makes louder contact than almost any other player in the Orioles system, consistently ranking near the top of their exit velocity readings during 2020 instructional camp, where he showed significant bat speed and light-tower power in batting practice and simulated games. The concerns crop up regarding whether he’ll hit enough to get to that power on a consistent basis. There’s enough swing and miss to his game to potentially drown out Mayo’s loud tools when exposed to professional pitching.
Not everyone is convinced Mayo can stick at third as well. He does have a plus arm, strong enough to produce mid-90s velocity readings off the mound in high school. But his feet and hands are just OK, which might mean a move to first base or maybe to left field. His strong arm, power and physicality remind some of Troy Glaus, Pat Burrell and Austin Riley; therein lies the range of players the O’s are hoping he can eventually become.
Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida has produced some serious talent over the years, starting with Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and continuing with A’s left-hander Jesus Luzardo and Rockies third-base prospect Colton Welker. Mayo also plays the hot corner, with the kind of power potential that many teams coveted as the 2020 Draft approached, albeit with a commitment to the University of Florida to contend with. The Orioles manipulated their bonus pool well, using the Heston Kjerstad-generated savings to be able to sign Mayo in the fourth round for a well-above-slot bonus of $1.75 million.
There are no questions about Mayo’s raw power from the right side of the plate. He can flat-out crush the ball, using his strong 6-foot-5 frame to his advantage. The concerns crop up regarding whether he’ll hit enough to get to that power on a consistent basis. There’s swing and miss to his game and while he’ll show the ability to drive the ball to the opposite field in batting practice, he can get very pull-happy in games.
Not everyone is convinced Mayo can stick at third as well. While he does have a well-above-average arm, his feet and hands are just OK, which might mean a move to first base or maybe to left field. His strong arm, power and physicality might remind some of Austin Riley, the kind of player the Orioles are hoping he can eventually become.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
